Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has been concentrating on law enforcement and talking about the criminal element. I would like to take this opportunity to make a comment and to remind the member that there is a distinction between civil legislation and criminal legislation and the enforcement of criminal provisions versus the enforcement of civil provisions. This proposed bill does not lessen or detract from the criminal law, nor does it detract from the enforcement provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. It introduces a new authority to enforce the civil provisions of the Customs Act, the civil provisions of the Excise Act and the civil provisions of the Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act.
No authority currently exists under the Excise Act to allow police forces other than the RCMP to enforce civil provisions of the act. What we are talking about today is the enforcement of civil provisions of these acts.